Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-10-09
DAILY HERALD.
GETTING ON THE STAGE
A Burning Question With
the Stage-Struck.
HOW MANAGERS ARE BESIEGED
The Company OH the Road and the
Variety Stage as a Training q
School for Actors. n4,f-

or an actress?"
How many hundred times are these
and similar questions asked every day
in the year by the youths and maid
ems of the land. They see how Salvini
thrills his audiences. They remark
how Clara Morris holds the spectators
speilbound. How wonderful that is I!
How proud those players must be !
The young man reads the story OF
Kyrle Bellew and the two hundred
odd (very odd) maidens who are
infatuated with him and who
crowd around the stage door
after the matinee to see him come
out of the theatre. "What pleasant
life,n calculates the young man. II
wonder if 1 couldn't do::Bellew's roles?
Certainly am better looking than he
is." And in similar way the stage
struck young woman, seated In the
stalls, sees the pretty young actress
called out to the footlights, greeted
with enthusiastic applause and loaded
down with flowers, and envies her
from the very bottom of her bitter lit
tie heart.
And so there grows up an army OF
young people who are crazy to be-
come players. Some of them have
the beginnings of true love and enthu-
siasm for the dramatic art, but the ma
jority are moved by their vanity. They
besiege the managers in their dens,
and wish to be allowed to read pas
sage from Shakespeare. Picture for
a moment modern speculator listen
ing, while novice repeats speech
from "Hamlet" or "Romeo and Ju-
liet" for his critical approval! When
these deluded creatures have
made the rounds Of the mama
gers. they are very apt to write to
a critic on one Of the leading papers
of their native city for advice. What
shall they do now?. What books
must they study, and what will be
the books cost? This prevailing idea
among novices that places on the
stage are to be secured by some species
of Civil Service examination usually
angers the practical newspaper man
slightly, and he drops the letter into
the waste paper basket. If he
answered it he would probably say that
somebody's check-book was the most
desirable in such circumstances, but
there was no necessity for studying it.
That pleasing employment might be
left to the owner.
Two or three years ago the stage
struck population of the United States
became, for brief period, more than
ordinarily emotional and excited. In
fancy they saw all the stage doors
through the length and breadth of the
land thrown wide open. A school Of
acting had been formed, founded, of
course, on the direct, delightful and
intelligent conservatory methods OF
Paris. and open sesame would shortly
be proclaimed. There were some
trifing formulas to be observed. A
year or two of study would be neces-
sary, and the payment of some initia-
tion and tuition fees would have to be
made. But this was mere bagatelle.
The new school would train its pupils,
would teach them how to walk, to fall
down, how to get up, to hug properly
and to exchange the stage kiss, and
then the school would procure them
places in the established theaters and
companies. Here was richness. The
drummer of this school made a trip
through the country and recruits
focked to his banner, scrambled in
fact until his route was transformed
into a sensationally triumphant pro-
.gress. In due time the drummer and
his following reached New York,
and the school was opened. 1t be-
gan with boom, which gradually
and gracefully fizzled out. The man
ayers displayed considerable knowl-
edge of finance, but the stage doors
remained pretty firmly closed and the
great How shall [ get on
the stage ?"-still remained unan-
swered.
And is there any answer to the
question? A young woman, bright
and intelligent, with handsome face
and well-rounded figure, called on
Manager Palmer, of the Madison
Square Theatre, year or more ago,
and said that she was seeking some
means OF livelihood and she would
like to become an actress. She had
letters from well-known people, and
Mr.. Palmer listened to everything she
had to say. When she had done he
told her that she seemed to have the
qualifications necessary for success.
but earnestly advised her not
to 60 on with her de-
termination. She had talents
in other directions. Cultivate them.
He assured her that the life of an ac-
tress was full Of hard work and bitter
disappointments that the prizes were
few and did not always fall to the
most meritorious. More than in any
other profession, success was largely
the result of the chance. Theatrical
history was full of the cases of players
who had made fame and reputation
late in life and then through an acci-
dent.
3 "But," said the manager, eff you
are bent on entering the dramatic
profession take an engagement in a
small company. Do something, at
tain some recognition, however slight,
2 demonstrate ability and will give
you an opening. You will readily un-
derstand that l cannot take novice
into my New York company"
The only training-school for the
young player now is the company on
the road. The life is a rough one.
and as the road companies usually
play but one piece, the school is not
very broad one. The school which
approaches nearest to that furnished
by the old stock company is road or
ganization playing a repertoire. There
are several OF these in existence. They
travel around in small towns play
ing a week in each place an6
presenting in some cases the
entire standard drama. The oppor
tunity of playing wide range of part'
is, however, so far as l know, afforded
by no other companies, and the value
of such an opportunity to an earnes
student of dramatic art cannot be over
estimated. The discomforts and in
convenience of such life are certainl,
! very great. To young woman, es
r,ec;ajjv one carefully nurtured anC